Button fastener



Feb. 22; 1949. WN, JR 2,462,717

BUTTON FASTENER Filed NOV. 13, 1945 Jn ucnfor,

M a-5% M Patented Feb. 22, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in button fasteners and more particularly to the attachment of buttons to garments and other objects on which such buttons may be required.

Buttons of the character used on garments and other objects are provided ordinarily with either two holes or four holes, so that such buttons can be attached by stitching through the holes to the cloth of the garment. This attachment of the buttons is accomplished frequently on buttonsewing machines because of the speed and simplicity attendant upon the stitching of the buttons by such machines on the garments. In laundering and in use, such buttons become separated from the garments due to the breaking of the thread by which they are attached and are difficult of re-application due to the lack of availability of such button-sewing machines.

Various button attaching devices have been proposed heretofore, but these have not been H satisfactory nor adopted commercially because they have not provided a satisfactory means of attaching the button to the cloth in a simple and expeditious manner and without complex or bulky structure.

The object of this invention is to improve the construction of such button fastenings to provide an inexpensive and easily attached or detached button, which does not require that it be stitched to the garment or other base material, and yet will give the appearance of having been sewed to the garment.

Another object of the invention is to provide flexibility of the button on the attaching means to enable it to be turned or twisted in facilitating the buttoning operation of the garment.

Still another object of the invention is to improve the construction of the button fastening device, so that the button will lie substantially fiat on the garment without bulkiness of the attaching device, whereby it is folded fiat against the base material without danger of injury to the person wearing the garment, and is completely hidden from view, so as not to be unsightly in its application to the garment. A

These objects may be accomplished according to a preferred embodiment of the invention by the attachment of the button to a staple provided with one or more prongs that may be inserted through the base material of the garment and folded back on such material to secure the button in place. The button may be stitched either directly to the staple or attached to a cloth strip which in turn has the staple secured thereto. Such a strip of cloth gives added flexibility to the attached button and enables the button to be stitched on a machine directly to the cloth in a simple and expeditious manner after which the cloth may be attached readily to the garment or other base material by the staple.

The invention is illustrated in different embodiments in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of the staple and attaching strip separated from the button;

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the button stitched to the cloth;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section through the button applied to the securing strip and staple;

Fig. i is a side elevation thereof at right angles to Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the staple folded in flat position;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a button attached to a staple but showing a modification of the attaching strip; and

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of another form of the invention in which the button is attached directly to the staple.

Referring to the forms shown in Figs. 1 to 5, the button is designated generally by the numeral 5, being shown as in the form of a four-hole type, although it may be of any other desired form such as a two-hole button. This is shown also as of the type of button used ordinarily for attachment to shirts and other articles of wearing apparel, although any suitable form of button may be used as desired.

The fastening device shown in Figs." 1 to 5, comprises an attaching strip 2, preferably formed of textile fabric, but the size of this strip should not appreciably exceed the diameter of the button so as to be readily visible around the edges thereof. The button I having button holes [1, is attached to the strip 2, by stitching 3 and may be secured thereto by a button-sewing machine of the character employed by securing buttons to garments.

Over-lying the attaching strip 2 is a staple I8 having a base portion 4 which is shown in Figs. 1 to 5, as bein interposed between the attaching strip 2 and the button I. The base portion 4 has down-turned prongs 5 at opposite ends thereof in the form illustrated. This base portion 4 of the staple l8 may be provided also with rongs 6 at opposite edges thereof, as shown in Fig. 1, to engage in the strip 2, so as to hold the staple I8 securely thereto during attachment to the button. The staple I8 is formed preferably 3 of a relatively thin strip of bendable material, preferably thin sheet-metal.

In constructing this device, the staple 18 may be secured to the button intermediate the attaching strip 2 and the button I, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Normally, the staple I8 will have the prongs thereof extended in direct alignment with the base portion 4, as shown in Fig. 1, and

may be secured to the attaching strip by the thus-securing the button flatly to: such article -in a "very simple and effective manner. The button maybe removed when? desired merelyby straightening out thefprongsan'd withdrawing the staple.

While the prongsofthe staple i8 are'shown in Fig. 3, as extending through the attaching -strip 2,=ithe1atter may'bemade smaller "in width as indicated at 2' in Fig. B,1if'desired, when the prongs of theista'ple lawill'extend over the edges of the attaching strip and Wi1l not be inserted through the latter as 'inFig. Either fornfmay be used as desired.

If the "attaching 'strip 2 'is not required, the button may be stitched directly to the staple 18 as s'hown' in Fig.7. In this form, 'the button II is applied directly to a staple M. The baseportion "of the "staple .is provided with orifices l6 therein through which "stitches I3 extend. Two or more orifices l6 may be formed in' the staple to correspond with the numbero'f button holes H iinth'e button with 'which 'they are aligned by the operator and attachedthereto-inthe' o'rdin ary manner by a"button-s'ewing'machine.

4 Each of these forms will accomplish the object of the invention, particularly the inexpensive and easy attachment of a button to a garment or other article of base material without requir- 5 ing the stitching of the button directly thereto, and yet giving the appearance of the button having been sewed to the article and sufiiciently flexible for buttoning purposes.

While the inventionis villustrated in certain o sp'ec ific examples, itw ill be appreciated that "modifications and changes maybe made in the construction without departing from the invention, except as indicated in the claim.

' 't-I fclaimz 5 A button fastening comprising a button having "butt'onholes therein, a staple including a fiat base iportion havingzprongs thereon positioned at right angles to said base portion, said flat base portion be'ing"juxtaposed with respect to one side of said button, an attaching strip of textile fabric underlying said fiatbase portion and on the opposite "s'idethereof fronr'saidbutton, said prongs extend- "irig through-said fabr'ic strip in a" direction 'away from said button, and stitching extending thro'iigh said "button holes and passing through 'said fab ric and on eachside of said 'fiat base'porti on; thereby securing all the parts together.

"MILTON FRANK- BRowN, JR.

:TREFERENCES CITED f Theifollowing references are of record in the file o'f 'this patent: 

